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Between back-to-back phone screens, team syncs and strategic planning, recruiters and HR professionals are busy enough. Add to that a time of year when many teams are short-staffed due to PTO, and it can feel overwhelming at times. This doesn’t mean that you don’t want to keep on top of the latest goings-on in the industry. It’s just that when you’re strapped for bandwidth, you need to prioritize more immediate tasks.

If you can identify with that struggle, don’t worry — we’ve got your back. We’ve scoured the web to keep on top of the latest news, trends and best practices. Here’s what caught our attention this month, from flakey candidates to the fuss over office food and more.

1. Candidate Ghosting Is on the Rise

Ever had a candidate fail to show up to an interview — or even their first day on the job — with no explanation at all? If so, you’re not alone. According to USA Today, it’s called “ghosting,” and it’s happening more and more frequently. The likely cause of this frustrating trend is a tight labor market that only seems to be getting tighter.

“Despite an unemployment rate hovering near an 18-year low, job gains have actually accelerated in 2018,” Glassdoor Chief Economist Dr. Andrew Chamberlain said. “It’s an unusual trend that’s surprised many analysts as job growth almost always slows late in an economic cycle. But after years of declining job growth, employers have bucked the trend.”

And with more job opportunities comes increasing salaries as employers begin to compete with one another in order to attract talent, especially for retail, finance and e-commerce workers, Chamberlain explains in the latest Glassdoor Local Pay Reports.

With so many attractive options to choose from, job seekers have the freedom to be picky. So even if they’ve already committed to an opportunity, they won’t shy away from moving on if something better comes along.

One way to reduce the chance of ghosting: Screen candidates early on for commitment and passion by asking why they want to work at your company, what motivates them and more.

2. No Experience Needed

Another result of the tight labor market: Employers are more willing than ever to give a chance to candidates with no prior relevant experience, reported the Wall Street Journal. With companies losing productivity and money each day a role sits open, some are finding creative ways to reach larger pools of talent and hopefully, speed up the hiring process.

In addition to removing prior experience requirements, companies are also removing other barriers to entry such as drug testing, college degrees and prerequisite skill sets. This is particularly prominent in areas of low unemployment like Dallas, TX and Louisville, KY, as well as for jobs that require fewer specialized skills such as call centers and warehouse workers.

But employers shouldn’t be too concerned that fewer requirements will lead to incapable employees — there are plenty of reasons to consider removing hurdles from the hiring process. Removing requirements can lead to a more diverse pool of candidates, while on-the-job training is an effective way to ensure that employees have the skills they need to perform to the best of their abilities.

3. Tech Isn’t Just for Techies Anymore

When thinking about the types of employees who work at tech giants like Facebook and Uber, many of us picture them working in technical roles: mobile developers, software engineers, data scientists, etc. But research from Glassdoor recently revealed that the ratio of technical to non-technical roles at technology companies is encroaching 50:50 — a full 43 percent of jobs at tech companies today don’t require knowledge of code, software or data.

So, how can recruiters at companies with techie reputations appeal to the masses?

Make Your Open Roles Known: Some companies are so focused on hiring for hard-to-fill tech roles that they forget to communicate that they’re hiring across a wide variety of functions. Make sure your Glassdoor profile, career site and relevant social media channels all highlight that you’re looking for talented folks from all different backgrounds.

Optimize Your Job Descriptions: Employers often make the mistake of turning a job description into a wishlist of what they want without mentioning what the candidate wants. The best way to entice job seekers to apply to a job? Mention the salary and benefits in the description.

Invest in Culture: Hiring an employee who only stays for a short period of time could actually set you back in the long run. To make sure the employees you hire stay for longer, you may want to invest in your culture instead of increasing paychecks, as companies with higher culture and values scores tend to have higher rates of retention.

4. Food in the Workplace Causes a Stir

What’s not to love about food in the workplace? Ask around and you’ll find more dissenters than you might expect. One commonly cited reason is that it’s just too hard to resist. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently shared that employees get nearly 1,300 calories per week from foods and beverages at work, and that it may be contributing to the U.S. obesity epidemic. Perhaps that’s why employees say office food is the biggest obstacle to wellness.

Meanwhile, office real estate company WeWork announced that they will no longer serve meat at company events or reimburse employees for meals that include meat due to its negative impact on the environment.

All of this has companies asking: Is food as a perk on its way out?

Only time will tell, but the good news for employers is that this likely wouldn’t impact their ability to recruit. Quality health insurance, generous vacation and paid-time-off packages carry far more weight — “the other more flashy benefits were less correlated with satisfaction,” Dr. Chamberlain said.

Tell us: What caught your attention in the world of HR & recruiting this month?